Bus convoy defies rebel threats in Nepal

A heavily-guarded convoy of six buses snaked its way out of Nepal’s capital Katmandu today, the first vehicles to defy Maoist rebels who blockaded Katmandu this week with threats alone and without setting up a single roadblock.

But the risk of attacks by the insurgents kept other vehicles off the roads, and police said no cars or delivery trucks had entered the capital since yesterday’s start of the blockade, called by the rebels to demand that the government release jailed comrades.